Saturday, June 27, 2009

Tipicas Cubanas De Siempre - Cuba

"Tipicas Cubanas De Siempre"
Sampler of seven different Charangas
Vinyl LP/LD
7. "Para Que Goces El Son"
'Orq. Maravillas De Florida'

12. "En Cuba"
'Orq. Maravillas Del Ritmo'

Orq. America - con René Lorente flauta - Cuba

Vinyl LP/LD
1. "No Camino Mas"

3. "Fea La Cucaracha"

6. "Baila Mi Guajira"


Orq. America - live radio broadcast
René Lorente: flute


Orq. America - live radio broadcast
René Lorente: flute

Monday, June 15, 2009

Sexteto Imagen 1990's - La Habana, Cuba

These are 8 songs by 'Sexteto Imagen', brought back from Havana on a cassette tape in the mid 1990's.
There was no cover for the cassette, just 8 songs recorded in a small studio in La Habana.
I transferred them to CD, then converted them to MP3's.
Swinging little sextet, with great musicians.
8 songs: (((Here)))

While searching for a photo of the band, I came across a 2006 video of them on 'YouTube'.

El 'Tocororo'

El 'Tocororo'
La bandera de Yara

"Tocororo"
Los Muñequitos De Matanzas
Victoriano "Tití" Espinosa tocando el Quinto

"Tocororo" (live-vivo 1979)
Los Muñequitos De Matanzas
Victoriano "Tití" Espinosa tocando el Quinto

Rumba Mariel en California 1980's

Rumba Mariel en California early 1980's - live/en vivo
Musicians that arrived via the Mariel boat lift in California.

Toque Güiro
Palo
Makuta
Rumba Columbia
Guaguancó Matancero
Rumbita
Abakúa
Guaguanco Habanero
Bata
Guaguancó Matancero

Orq. Mario Fernandez - Cuba

Photo: M. Sanders 1959

1. "Baila Mi Son"


3. "Orfeo En Los Tambores"


12. "El Carnicero"

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Video: Cuba - "I Am Cuba" scene from the 1964 film

"I Am Cuba" - 1964
From the 1664 film "I Am Cuba", the scene where the brother & sister go into town, they get two Coca Cola's and the sister plays a song on the jukebox.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Pedro Depestre - "Son Charangas Y Pasiones" 1999 - Cuba

"Son Charangas Y Pasiones"
1999

'Pedro Depestre'; son of 'Filiberto Depestre' a violinist with Orq. Aragon in 1955.
Started playing violin at the age of five.
Replaced his father in Orq. Aragon in 1959, leader and director of his own band 'Orq. Tipica Juventud' de Santiago de Cuba 1970's, member of the 'Estrellas de Areito' late '70's, director of the Maravillas de Florida, director of the string section in the Tropicana Cabaret house Orq.
Music producer for Cuban radio and television.
'Pedro Depestre' died at 55 years young after taking a violin solo on stage in Basel, Switzerland in 2001. (1945-2001)

"Son Charangas Y Pasiones"
Musicians:
Pedro Depestre - Violin solos, musical director, arrangements
Jose Perez Fuentes - Violin
Jose Conyedo Roman - Violin
Humberto Legat Yera - Violin
Ray Avila Serrano - Cello
Policarpio Tamayo Garriga - Flute
Jorge Leliebre - Flute
Alexis Bosch - Piano, vibraphone
Maria Hernandez - Trumpet
Alexander Brown - Trumpet
Miguel Valdes - Trumpet
Roberto Martinez Capote - Guitar, bass
Juan Pablo Dominguez - Bass
Cesar Lopez - Alto sax
Alfred Thompson - Tenor sax
Hilario Bell - Drums
Jose Manuel Urquia - Tres, requinto, chorus
Yamir Rodriguez - Guitar, chorus
Blas Egües - Timbales
Jorge Alfaro - Percussion, guiro


Saturday, June 6, 2009

Video: Cuba - Conjunto Rumbavana '78-'79


'Conjunto Rumbavana'
"Yo vine pa' hechar candela"

'Ricardito'; vocal. 'Gilberto Azcuy; trumpet.
Joseito González; leader, piano.
Tino Alonso "Papa Gofio": bongocero



"Como Vivo Yo"
'Ricardito'; Vocal, , 'Rigobero Calderon'; trumpet.
Tino Alonso "Papa Gofio": bongocero

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

In memoriam: Jesús Alfonso Miró, murio en Matanzas, Cuba - June 3 2009

Falleció Jesús Alfonso Miró
R.I.P.
Iba ayé ba yé t'orún
Sadly, Jesús Alfonso Miró died today, June 3rd 2009, he was 60 years old.
Musician, drummer and quinto player in 'Los Munequitos De Matanzas'

As a small homage to him, these several quickly edited videos.
These first four videos were filmed by me at "Symphony Space" during a show here in N.Y.C. in the 1990's. The old "no filming rule" was in effect, so I had to "clandestinely" film between peoples heads sitting in front of me.





Jesús Alfonso Miró playing Chekeré

Abakúa -
Jesús Alfonso Miró playing Biankomé
'Ireme's'


Jesús Alfonso Miró playing quinto,
then switches to "Guagua' and plays my favorite pattern.
With 'Los Munequitos De Matanzas'. Early 1980's, Cuba.


A younger Jesús Alfonso Miró on the left, playing 'tres dos'
with 'Los Munequitos De Matanzas'. Early 1970's, Cuba.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Tito Puente "The Complete 78s" Vol - I, II, III, IV - N.Y.C.

Many of the original 78rpm records that were used for this four volume set, came from my fathers record collection that he sold to 'Joe Conzo' in the early 1980's.
Featuring 'Vicentico Valdés', 'Mongo Santamaria', 'Willie Bobo', 'Manny Oquendo' and 'Charlie Palmieri'

On these early recordings, Mongo is playing a 'tack head" drum (a drum that needed a can of 'Sterno' to heat the skin head to tune it) and later especially in Vol-IV, you can hear him playing his two drums made by 'Gonzalo Vergara'.

'Mongo' playing a "tack head" tumbadora.

'Mongo' playing his two 'Vergara's' with 'Tito Puente'.

(((
Vol - I)))


(((Vol - II)))


(((Vol - III)))


(((Vol - IV)))